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Copyright © 2017 by Tiffany Edgecombe Christian Living Books, Inc. P.O. Box 7584 Largo, MD 20792 www.christianlivingbooks.com We bring your dreams to fruition. All rights reserved under the international copyright law. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express, written permission of the author. ISBN 1-56229-015-0 Unless otherwise marked, all Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, KING JAMES VERSION. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Verses marked (TLB) or The Living Bible are taken from The Living Bible, copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
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CONTENTS G Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi A Husband’s Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi My Song of Deliverance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Chapter One—The Ordeal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Chapter Two—Arise out of the Ashes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Chapter Three—Healing in Your House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Chapter Four—Deliverance from the Dungeons of Guilt and Shame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Chapter Five—Freedom from Fear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Chapter Six—Forgive as You Have Been Forgiven. . . . . . . . . . . 41 Chapter Seven—Emerging from Your Entombment . . . . . . . . . 47 Chapter Eight—Patient through the Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Chapter Nine—A God Who Is More Than Enough . . . . . . . . . 63 Chapter Ten—Joy Everlasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Chapter Eleven—A Double Portion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Chapter Twelve—From the Pit to the Palace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Chapter Thirteen—Preserved for a Purpose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Chapter Fourteen—Finish the Race. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Chapter Fifteen—The Most Important Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . 109 About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 iii
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INTRODUCTION G
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inally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:10-13, NIV). To every person who has experienced rape or other types of sexual abuse, I want to assure you that there is life after this kind of trauma. Your adversary, the devil, wants you to believe that there is no coming back from this ordeal, that there is no hope, no future, no point of trying to recover or go on with life, but “the devil is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44, NIV). There is no truth in him, and so we must silence his lies with the truth, and Jesus is “the 1
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way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). The Word also declares that “then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:32, 36, NIV). I have experienced this “evil” called rape. In the natural it seemed impossible to recover from its scars, but thanks be to God Who sent His Son to die in my place on Calvary’s cross so that “with His stripes, I am healed” (Isaiah 53:5). In the supernatural realm where God lives, nothing is impossible, so you do not have to stay in that dark dungeon of Satan’s deception that your life is finished, that you will never live or love again, because it’s a lie from the pit of hell. Today I encourage you to rise up and say, “Enough is enough. I will not allow this situation to pull me under, but to take me over. I place this whole experience in the hands of the God Who is more than enough, El Shaddai.” Journey with me through my ordeal, healing process and God’s restoration of my life, and I am confident that in Him you will experience your time to heal now.
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Chapter One
THE ORDEAL G
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anuary 1, 1994, began the year that was to be the most exciting year of my life up to that point. I had spent three and a half years at the University of Windsor (U of W) in Canada, and I faced my final semester. I can still remember the prayer I offered at the beginning of the semester: “Lord, this is the last term I will spend here. Whatever lessons are left for me to learn, this is the last chance.” That last semester, God drew me close to so many Spirit-filled believers, who encouraged me in His Word, which is truth, and invited me to be a part of their church, Windsor Christian Fellowship (WCF). Meeting these believers and becoming a part of the fellowship at WCF were divine appointments in my life, and as a result of these, I AM ALIVE AND STILL STANDING VICTORIOUS IN CHRIST JESUS TODAY. For that I say THANK YOU, LORD! In the first few months of 1994, the Lord taught me so many things, such as how to seek His presence every day, for “in thy (His) presence is fullness of joy” (Psalms 16:11). This required a sacrifice 3
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on my part. I did not have my own bedroom, so if my roommate was at home and the Lord called me to worship, I would have to walk for twenty minutes in the cold to the home of one of my dearest Christian friends, where I would seek the Lord’s presence. I am so thankful to God for giving me the strength and willingness to make those sacrifices, for I am alive today because of them. He also taught me to trust Him, even when the situation seemed impossible. Economics had been a challenge for me since the first day I entered the U of W, and to obtain a bachelor of arts degree in honors international relations, I had to successfully complete ten economics courses. In my last semester, I faced two of the toughest classes, one which I started out failing. But despite sickness, I emerged victorious in both courses. God is more than enough! In all this, God was preparing me for what lay ahead. On May 5, 1994, after having said good-bye to my friends, school and life in Windsor, I returned to Nassau, Bahamas, buzzing like a bee. I had my whole life ahead of me, and I felt on top of the world. I had two summer courses to complete at the College of The Bahamas whose credits would be transferred to U of W in time for the commencement exercises in October of that year. After completing these, my plan was to seek employment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, settle down and enjoy life. It was to be smooth sailing from that point because the rough waters of attaining an education were almost behind me. However, I was soon to discover that things do not always go according to our plans. Just a mere nine days after my return, on May 14, 1994, I found myself in a very precarious situation. While on a date with a gentleman friend, I was abducted, thrown into the trunk of a car, blindfolded, attacked and robbed by four men, raped by three of them, one of whom raped me twice, made to step into a body of water, shot at twice and left for dead. There were times during the ordeal when I was made to walk blindfolded and I could hear my assailants talking behind me, and I 4
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just held my head and heart and prayed “Lord, please do not let them shoot me.” I had to fight to maintain my composure and not fall apart because of the gravity of the situation. I quickly realized I had come face-to-face with death, and I knew that only the Lord God Almighty was able to deliver me from this impending doom. Everything in me focused on one thing and one thing only: surviving this tragedy. All natural indications pointed to one thing: I was about to be murdered. But as a Christian, I chose not to give in to what I saw in the natural, but to put my trust in the God of impossibilities Who delivered Daniel from the lion’s den and Who parted the Red Sea so His children could be saved from the Egyptians. God is good in all things, and I can say, as Joseph said, “What was meant for my harm, God worked it out for good” (Genesis 50:20). Many of you may think, How cruel it was of them to put you in the trunk of a car. But that saved my life. It was in that trunk that I was able to cry out to the Lord, petitioning Him for a miracle, because “the cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me” (Psalms 18:4-5, NIV). But I, like the writer of this Psalm, King David, can say, “In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears” (verse 6). In my midnight hour, God worked in my favor. He parted the heavens and came down (verse 9). I called upon Him, and I was saved from my enemies (verse 3). The Rhema Word of God is a powerful tool in the hand of God’s elect. That is why it is important to hide the Word of God on the inside. In the heat of this battle, I did not have a Bible to which I could refer. If His truth had not been embedded in my spirit before this battle surfaced, I would have been dead. The two scriptures I called upon were Isaiah 54:17, which declares that “no weapon 5
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formed against you shall prosper,” and Isaiah 59:19, which assures us that “when the enemy shall come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” These very scriptures saved my life because a weapon – a gun – was indeed formed against me, and since I could not swim, the enemy surely came in like a flood when my body plunged into the canal. After I had been violated, the time came for my attackers to dispose of me. I was placed in the back seat of a car, still blindfolded, with my head to my knees as we took what seemed to be the longest drive of my life. I could hear the sounds of traffic, which meant that we were on highly populated streets. If only those who were searching for me could somehow know where I was. The car stopped once. I was taken out and thrown on the ground. I could hear whispering. The Lord would reveal to me later that I was at the very door of death, but divine intervention took place, and I was picked up and placed back into the car. We drove a short distance. The car stopped again. I was taken out and ordered to take a step. I fell and finally plunged into unknown waters. I sank. I felt a Resistance pushing me to the top. Bear in mind, I cannot swim. Thank God for His Word. The blindfold was removed with the pressure from entering the water. I clung to a rock. I looked up, only to see the hooded gunman extend his arm. He fired once. I went under the water, still holding onto the rock, trying to trick him into thinking I had been hit, in an effort to get them to leave the scene. He fired again. After this, I heard the screeching of tires. I had made it through by the Grace of God. When the attack began, it was like I had been handed a death sentence. But thanks be to God, Who delivered me! Holding onto a rock, I pulled myself out of the water, ran to a nearby house and knocked on the door. A lady on the other side of the door sounded concerned, and I cried out, “Please let me in, before they come back.” She and her husband opened the door and welcomed a soaking wet, traumatized child of God into their 6
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homes. It was then that my emotions let loose and I began to sob, just thankful to be alive. These people were born-again believers, and the husband said when he heard the first gunshot, he began to intercede. That is why it is so important for us to be obedient when God calls us to pray – somebody’s life could be hanging in the balance, as mine was. The police were summoned and shortly thereafter arrived at the home of this caring couple to investigate the attack. My father was contacted, and I was transported to a private physician for medical treatment of the bruises and cuts I sustained during this ordeal and to facilitate the relevant testing for investigative purposes. At the doctor’s office, a female police officer took my statement of that night’s events. It was then that my mother and another family member arrived. When we got home from the doctor’s office, she prepared a bath for me, and as I lay in her bed, she wept through the remainder of the night. This event was devastating to both my parents, and my mom was unable to sleep properly for years afterward.
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OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR OVERCOMING OBSTACLES The Perfect Book for Anyone Struggling with Life or their Faith Believers sometimes begin to doubt their faith because their life is filled with so many obstacles. They want to know why God lets them struggle. Skeptics often see obstacles as confirmation that God doesn’t exist, or if He does, He doesn’t care about them. If you've ever felt this way, this inspirational book is for you. Inside you will discover: • • • • • • • •
The nature of life’s race How to overcome the obstacles we face How to stay steadfast relying on God’s strength and power How to be patient through it all How to slay the giants in our life The power of prayer to soothe the soul Why we have no reason to fear The best ways to get in spiritual shape
Overcoming Obstacles shows that life is a race filled with struggles and obstacles. These things are not here to punish us, but to teach us. Once we learn that we cannot make it on our own, we allow God to guide us. It is only through His power that we are able to overcome any obstacle. If you or someone you love is on the verge of a spiritual heart attack, or if you need an injection of faith to keep going, this is the book for you! It will help you to make sense of the challenges in life and show how each of us can get back into the spiritual shape we need to finish the path the Lord has set for us.
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OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR OVERCOMING OBSTACLES SMALL GROUP STUDY GUIDE All of us seek to discover how to successfully run the race we have been assigned and master the hand we have been dealt. Believers sometimes begin to doubt their faith because their life is filled with so many hurdles. The truth is life isn’t easy for anybody. Challenges often appear overwhelming and insurmountable. Even if you are secure in your own faith, it can be difficult to help others who are struggling. This excellent small group experience is a six session road map to victory. Also a great resource for individual study, this guide will give you key strategies to overcome and to keep fighting until you reach your finish line. Each session includes‌
Start a group, today, using this easy to facilitate format. Allow God to empower you through the pages of this guide as well as the meaningful discussions that will occur in your small group sessions. The sooner you get this guide the sooner you will have the tools you need to successfully lead a group and give them the strength to leave their past hurts behind and embrace the gratifying future that comes from persevering.
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